4 A Case Study on the Korean Intelligence Fail.DOC

A Case Study on the Korean Intelligence Failure: Focused on the Case of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong Joo Hyeon Lee( Kyu Young Lee(( Abstract On March 26, 2010, an explosion occurred near the rear of the ROK Ship, Cheonan, causing the ship to break in two. Some media said the incident occurred as a result of failed intelligence. A lot of articles and reports exist that relate to intelligence failure in general, but the basic concepts and the fundamental reasons behind intelligence failure are still ambiguous. Therefore, the main focus of this study is to analyze the main causes of intelligence failure. Using an analytical framework, this study analyzes the case of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, which is an actual and representative case of a Korean intelligence failure. Although the Yeonpyeong Naval Battle was an incident that occurred over a single-day, it was caused by multiple factors, namely cognitive error by analysts and the prevailing military organizational culture. Most of all, the intelligence failure of the Yeonpyeong Naval Battle was either caused by an intentional distortion of information, or by an order of the defense minister to delete information. And its backdrop was the Sunshine Policy of the Kim Dae-Jung administration, which had been influencing the analysis of intelligence agencies. In order to prevent another intelligence failure, it is necessary that intelligence agencies be able to maintain their objectivity. And it is important to create an institutional environment where analysts are able to investigate accurately and objectively. Through such countermeasures, future tragedies like the Cheonan incident or Yeonpyeong Naval Battle may be averted.  Introduction On March 26, 2010, an explosion occurred near the rear section of the ROK Ship, Cheonan, causing the ship to break in two. Media at the time put the incident down failed to intelligence. Prior to this attack, similar intelligence failures had occurred in Korea. One suc